At home with …Jade Berreau & Secret

Artist
& daughter, Secret | Brooklyn, NY

The second you step into Jade Berreau’s Brooklyn brownstone, a feeling of calm washes over you. The vibrating, sometimes maddening buzz of New York melts away. In its place is the sound of old Jazz records wafting through the light-filled space. The Paris-born, Manhattan-raised artist and photo editor is busier than ever—in addition to her own photography, she’s working on the autumn launch of a new magazine, Let’s Panic. The at-home world she’s created for her daughter (father is the late artist Dash Snow) is steeped in warmth and affection. Snow’s spirit is felt at every turn, with family photos and pieces of his artwork scattered throughout the three floors. Not surprisingly, Secret’s room—filled with plush stuffed animals, draped silk, and whimsical music boxes—is the most magical part of the house.

Secret, four, March 2012

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At home with...Jade Berreau & Secret

“There’s a piece of advice I heard when I was 12 years-old and it always made sense to me: Communicate with your child. Explain things rather than saying ‘because I say so’.”

A Few of Her Favorite Things...

1. “Taking pictures of each other

2. Painting and drawing together

3. Cooking

4. Riding bikes

5. Music, music, music

6. And a little red wine”

A love note from Jade to Secret

“This is my first home, and I just can’t get enough of Brooklyn. I grew up in Manhattan but I would never move back. It’s so quiet here, and there’s a real sense of history. The pace of change is much slower.”

“I was born in Paris and moved to New York when I was four. For the first two years of Secret’s life, I only spoke French to her. I don’t do it as often now, so she takes lessons once a week.”

“When I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to find out if I was having a boy or girl—it’s already enough of a surprise. Dash wanted a boy because he was nervous about what to do with a girl. I didn’t care either way. In a way I wanted a boy just because he was excited about a boy. Once she was born, it was the cutest thing, to see a little girl with her daddy. They were completely in love.”

“When we moved to Brooklyn, I was at a place in my life where I needed some peace. In Manhattan, it literally feels like the city is vibrating. Now, as soon as I cross the bridge it all falls away. Years ago, I never would’ve appreciated it.”

“This is a wall of family photos that I put up over Secret’s bed. The one of Secret and I covered in paint was taken by my mom one summer in Sag Harbor. I want to keep adding to it.”

“Some of the photos are from a shoot Terry Richardson did of us for Purple magazine when Secret was nine months old. In one of them, she’s wearing a million dollar Van Cleef & Arpels necklace. Right after that picture was taken, she started crying really badly. I just wanted to get the necklace off as quickly as possible and I ended up breaking it.”

“Until she was around three years old, I was obsessed with getting clothes for her. Then, I told myself I needed to calm down.”

A piece Dash made for Secret

Secret’s painted rain boots

“She loves to paint and draw. It’s one of our favorite things to do together.”

“At first, I tried to only surround her with wood toys but she was begging for some plastic toys. So, what was I going to do? We live in the real world, and I don’t believe in restricting her too much. When it comes to media—I try to limit it. We don’t even have a TV, just a monitor so we can watch movies. Some parents feel like they need to be extreme because the world is so chaotic already. I try to just maintain a balance.”

Dolls lining Secret’s bedroom window

“I just cut her hair for the first time. It got so long that if I didn’t brush it for a few hours, she would have dreadlocks.”

Childhood photos of Dash and Jade on a shelf in Secret’s bedroom

“One thing I wish I was better at as a mom is the gift of saying no.”

“Secret is incredibly loving—she has the kind of laugh that makes you want to laugh.”

A “growing wall” in the kitchen

Picture Perfect

Secret, as a baby, with Dash

Beauty...

“A great moisturizer is key, and as much sleep as possible—although this is so very rare when you’re a mother.”

“The décor here sort of suits my personality: Romantic and not so romantic.”

Secret’s antique dress and belt

“The hardest thing about being a mom is consistency. I try my best to make sure that I make one-on-one time with Secret.”